Tomato and Feta Penne in the Crockpot
Video below on how to make this sensation in the crockpot
Friends! I saw this simple recipe nearly everywhere earlier this year, however, not once did I see anyone trying it in the crockpot. And truth be told, I am a sucker for trying to perfect oven recipes in the crockpot. Come to find out, this was a recipe that was a Tik Tok sensation- which I did not know because I am not on Tik Tok, shocking, I know. Anyway, it got me thinking about something called Load of Tock where we make recipes to certain music, or voiceovers, just to keep things interesting…thoughts?
Ingredients/Recipe:
2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes
1 - 8 oz block of feta cheese
2 tbsp. of olive oil
Large pinch of a dry herb mix (rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)- optional
1 box of penne pasta
4-8 chopped up fresh basil leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Putting it Together:
Spray your crockpot, sides and bottom, then add the block of feta cheese in the middle. Add the tomatoes around it, and then add the 2 tbsp of olive oil, drizzling over the tomatoes and cheese. If using, add the large pinch of dry herbs, and then season with (roughly) 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Set on low for 1.5 hours. As you get closer to the end of the 1.5 hour mark, it is a perfect time to boil up some water, and get the penne noodles cooked.
After about 1 hour and 10 minutes, the tomatoes will start to split, which is ok. At the hour and half mark, if the tomatoes are easily puncturable, then you can turn off. If some are still a little tough, keep on low for another 15-20 minutes. Then, slowly stir together the tomatoes and feta, until the feta block is nicely mixed in with the tomatoes. After this, add in your cooked penne noodles, giving the mixture another good mix, and finally, add in the cut up fresh basil, and give the full pot one last good mix.
Serving
I loved garnishing this pasta with more fresh basil along with some shredded parmesan cheese. And like many pastas, a nice bread of nearly any kind pairs incredibly well with this.
Load of Crock Tip(s):
When mixing the tomatoes and feta together in the crockpot, be on the lookout for splashing tomato juices. I do recommend a very slow mix to avoid your face being covered with hot tomato sauce. Just a suggestion.
As a leftover, this dish is fantastic. Arguably even better the 2nd day after everything has sat overnight and soaked in. So don't be afraid to warm this up for the days following, you will not be disappointed.
While Load of Tock may never be a sensation, after making and eating this, I can fully support and understand why this recipe in fact was on Tik Tok. But now can easily be done in the crockpot, which, just stick with me here, would allow for some extra time, while it's cooking, to maybe create a few Load of Tocks. Cooking, dancing, voiceovers…again, just a thought. Either way, enjoy this tomato and feta, penne!